Rotary engine.



PATENTED MAY 22, 1906.

G. E. ANDERSON.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIGATION FILED 1116.9, 1905.

No. 821,449. PATENTED MAY 22, 1906. G. E. ANDERSON.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.9, 1905.

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APPLIATION FILED AUG.9. 1905.

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PATENT oEEroE.

OF ALLEGHENY, PEN N SYLVAN IA.l

ROTARY ENGINE.

No. 821,449. i

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1906.

Application filed August 9, 1905. Serial N o. 273,432.

To aZZwQ/om it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, GUsTAvE E. ANDER- soN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing `in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is aspecification.

` My invention consists of a novel form of rotary engine which whilehaving but few moving parts and being of relatively simple powerful andefficient and of a construction such that it occupies but acomparatively small space for a given capacity. It is further desired toprovide a reversible engine having the above-noted characteristics whichshall at the same time have its parts so arranged that it shall have nodead-centers. These objects I attain as hereinafter set forth, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in whichE Figure 1 is asectional elevation taken through the main shaft of an engineconstructedaccording to my invention and illustrating the detailconstruction thereof. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the engine shown inFig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the engine shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4is a vertical section of a compound engine constructed according to myinvention. Fig. 5 is a view illustrating in diagram the development ofthe portion of the engine which I shall refer to as the cylinder orcylinders the view particularly illustrating that form of the inventionshown in Fig. 4; and Figs. 6 to 10, inclusive, are detail views ofcertain of the parts of the engine.

In the above drawings, A is the foundation or framework of my engine,which is provided with two standards a and a', carrying bearings for themain shaft B. Concentric with said shaft and supported upon theframework A is a casting C, which may be described as an annularcontainer or operatingchamber having a helically-curved bottom, theelements of whose surfaces are at 'right angles to the line of the shaftB. The end of said chamber op osite this helical surface is closed by adisk D, having a hub d keyed to the main shaft B and revoluble with saidshaft relatively to the chamber-casting C. In order that these parts mayretain their proper relative positions, I provide a flanged ring C',bolted to the chamber-casting C and overhanging the disk D in suchmanner that ballbearings c or antifriction-ring bearings may be carriedin properly-constructed races between the Hange of said ring C and theadjacent face of the cover-plate D.

Bolted to the exterior face of the coverplate D are two pairs of guides,each pair d and d2 being preferably formed as a single casting, as shownin Figs. 8 to 10, and the two pairs being bolted to the cover-plate D atlpoints substantially one hundred and eighty degrees apart. Operating ineach pair of guides and extending through the coverplate D into theoperating-chamber of the casting C (which I shall hereinafter refer toas the cylinder) is a fiat piston E, free to -move in a line parallelwith the shaft B and, since it is carried by the cover-plate D, alsomovable about said shaft as an aXis. There are two of these pistons E,.and it will be understood that their inner ends engage and are alwaysin contact with the helical surface of the cylinder, being pressedthereto by means of a cam-ring F, fixed to the foundation or frameA andengaged by suitable bevel-rollers e, respectively carried by the pistonsE. An elastic packing may be placed between the bevel-roller bracketsand the piston, such packing being of rubber or other resilientmaterial, or it may consist of springs.

In order to control the flow of motive fluid of the engine, I provide athrottling-governor G, whose spindle g is driven-from the main shaft Bby means of a pair of bevel-gears g and b. This governor controls theflow of motive fluid through the main supply-pipe H to the engine in amanner so well known that it will not be further described. In order,however, that the motive fluid may be admitted to the engine at theproper times and amounts, I provide mechanism including a slide-valve h,operating in the main supplypipe to the engine and having a spindle h,

periodically acted upon by a cam b', carried upon a disk b2, actuated bythe shaft B. .The spindle h is provided with a head h2, which isdesigned to be engaged by the cam t', as noted. There is also upon saidspindle, between its head and a guiding portion a2, carried by thebearing a, a spring a2, whereby the valve h is maintained in its cut-offposition, as shown in Fig. 1, at all times when it l is not displacedfrom such position to an open position by the cam b. Cut-off valves h4are placed between the admission-valve h and the cylinder C, and in thepresent instance I have so arranged the piping H that it enters thecylinder at two points equidistant from IOO IIO

. portions of the cylinders, together with the able recesses in saidguides and bearing against the faces of their respective pistons. Thepositions of these strips may be adjusted by means of screws e so placedas to force ysaid strips toward the piston-faces. `What ever wear mayoccur on the outside edges of Vthe'pistons from their outward pressure,due to centrifugal force, is taken up by means o tongued tapered wedgese2, outer edge. These wedge moved in or out at will by means of a withwhich each of them is provided.

l claim as my inventionl. An engine having an annular operatingchamberprovided with a helically-formed surface substantially continuousthroughout the three hundred and sixty degrees of its extent, twopistons having portions in engagement with said surface, and a camstructure for maintaining the pistons in engagement with said surface,one of the parts comprised by the pistons and the operating-chamberbeing revoluble relative to the other, there being an inlet for motivefluid and an exhaustport placed to allow escape of motive fluid from thechamber when the volume of the space between the pistons has reached amaximum, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a structure formed Vas an operating-chamber, oneof whose ends has its surface curved throughout the three hundred andsixty degrees of its extent, a

' opposite said surface,

that portion of the helical surface ofthe cylinder which is nearest thecover-plate B. This construction is adopted, and a cut-off valve isplaced in each of the branches H in order that the engine may bereversible, as it will turn the shaft B in either direction, accordingas to which of said valves is open.

Under operating conditions it will be seen that steam or other motivefluid is periodically admitted to and cut off from the cylinder C bymeans of the valve h, and inasmuch as thereare two pistons E the cam bmust be so made or operated as to cause two admissions of motive fluidto the cylinder for each revolution of the shaft B. Said Huid acts uponthe side or one face of one of the pistons E, and thereby causes this,together with the coverplate D and the shaft B, to revolve, drivingwhatever mechanism or other load may be connected to the pulley J onsaid shaft. By the time that the cover-plate D has turned through onehundred and eighty degrees from the position shown in Fig. l steam isagain admitted and caused to act upon the second piston E, while shortlythereafter the first piston uncovers an exhaust-port k and permits themotive fluid, which has acted expansively upon the piston, to escape. hecontinued revolution of the shaft B brings the first piston to aposition such that the motive uid is again admitted to it, while shortlythereafter the second piston uncovers an exhaust-port, and so allows theescape of the motive fluid which has been acting on'it.

lf desired, my improved engine may be made in such form as to permit ofthe motive fluid being expanded in a plurality of'stages, and in Fig. ll have shown the main portions of a compound engine constructedaccording to my invention. In this form of the device theengine-cylinder C2 strips may be bolt e3,

vcover for said chamber a plurality of pistons having portions inenagement with the curved surface and movable through said cover-plate,means for revolubly supporting one of the members comprised by thecover-plate and the chamber structure, and means for maintaining thepistons in engagement with the curved surface during there being aninlet for motive fiuid and a port placed to permit exhaust of the motivefluid when the plate has been moved to the point at which the-motivefiuid between the pistons has attained its maximum expansion,substantially as described.

3. The combination of a frame, a structure thereon formed as an annularoperatingchamber, a shaft extending through said chamber concentrictherewith, a plate carried by said shaft and forming a cover for thechamber, pistons carried by and movable through saidrcover intoengagement with one end of the chamber, the surface of said end beingcurved throughout its extent, and means for causing movement of thepistons through said cover when the shaft is revolved, said pistonsbeing one hundred and eighty degrees apart and there being inlet andexhaust ports two hundred and seventy degrees apart, substantially asdescribed.

is so made that instead of its helical surface approaching thecoverplate but once in the three hundred and sixty Ydegrees of itsannular lengths said surface approaches adjacent to said cover-platetwice in such length, thereby dividing theannular operating-chamber intotwo distinct cavities, ofwhich one is of greater volume than the otherby an amount fixed by engineering practice in the matter of compoundengines. In this case there are four of the pistons E, placed upon thecover-pate D ninety degrees apart and kept in constant engagement withthe helical surfaces of the cylinder by means of a corresponding curvedcam F, supported from the frame A in such manner as to engage therollers e, carried by the pistons. The prorelative placing of thepistons, are indicated in the digrammatic development of the helicalsurfaces of said cylinders, as illustrated in Figa 5. V

ln order to take up whatever wear may occur between the pistons andtheir guides, I

n thereon formed as an annular operatingprovlde side wearing-strips e4,fitted in suitchamber, a shaft extending through said fitted to such'IOO IZO

4. The combination of a frame, a structure i ISO chamber concentrictherewith, a plate carried by said shaft and forming a cover for thechamber, a piston carried by and movable through said cover into thechamber, and means for causing movement of the piston through said coverwhen the shaft is revolved, with means for taking up wear between thepiston and the cover, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a frame, a structure thereon formed. as an annularoperatingchamber, a shaft extending through said chamber concentrictherewith, a plate carried by said shaft and forming a cover for thechamber, a piston carried by and movable through said cover into thechamber, and means for causing movement of the piston through said coverwhen the shaft is revolved., with a strip carried by the cover inengagement with the piston, and means for moving the strip toward thepiston to take up wear thereof, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a frame, a structure thereon formed as an annularoperatingchamber, a shaft extending `through said chamber concentrictherewith, a plate carried by said shaft and forming a cover for thechamber, a piston carried by and movable through said cover into thechamber, and means for causing movement of the piston through said coverwhen the shaft is revolved, with means for taking up the wear betweenthe outer edge of the piston and the side of the chamber, substantiallyas described.

7. The combination of a frame, a structure thereon formed as an annularoperatingchamber, a shaft extending through said chamber concentrictherewith, a plate carried by said shaft and forming a cover for thechamber, a piston carried by and movable through said cover into thechamber, and means for causing movement of the piston through said coverwhen the shaft is revolved, with a wedge-shaped piece carried by thepiston upon its outer edge having means whereby it may be moved to takeup the wear between the piston and the side of the operating-chamber,substantially as described.

8. The combination of a frame provided with bearings, a shaft carried insaid bearings, an annular structure on the frame concentric with theshaft, said structure having an operating-chamber open at one end andhaving a continuous helically-curved interior surface at its other end,a cover carried b the shaft and closing the open end of theoperating-chamber, ilat plates movable through said cover in linesparallel with the shaft, with means for pressing one edge of said platesin engagement with the curved interior surface of the end of theoperatingchamber, there being inlet and exhaust ports to theoperating-chamber so placed as to permit exhaust of motive fluid whenthe space between the plates in which it is contained has reached itsgreatest volume, substantially as described.

9. The combination of a supporting-frame, a structure carried thereonand formed as an annular operating-chamber, one end of said chamberbeing open, and the other being helically curved throughout the threehundred and sixty degrees of its extent, with its elements at rightangles to the axis of the chamber, a flanged ring carried by saidstructure, a cover for the end of the structure opposite that having thehelical curve, said cover being held in place by said ring, ballbearingsbetween the cover and the ring, a plurality of pistons formed as platesmovable through said cover, and means for maintaining one edge of theseplates in engagement with the helical surface of the operatingchamber,substantially as described.

engine including a supportingframe, a shaft revolubly carried thereon, adisk carried by said shaft, an annular structure concentric with theshaft and having an `operating-chamber of which said disk forms thecover, the end of said chamber opposite said disk being curved so as tobe of varying distances from said cover, guides on the cover, a platemovable in said guides and extending through the cover so as to engagethe opposite ends of the operatin -cham-ber, an

annular cam for maintaining said piston in.

engagement with said end, and means for permitting revolution of one ofthe elements comprised by the shaft and the structure having theoperating-chamber relatively to the other, substantially as described.

11. n engine including an annular structure formed as an operatingchamber, a shaft extending through said structure, a plate thereonserving as a cover for the operating-chamber, the end of the chamberopposite said cover being curved helically with reference to the shaftand approaching said cover a plurality of times in the three hundred andsixty degrees of the angular length of the operating-chamber, a Hatplate forming a piston movable through the cover, and a cam structureengaging said piston for maintaining one edge of the same in engagementwith the helical surface of the operating-chamber, substantially'asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GUSTAVE E. ANDERSON.

Witnesses:

CHAs. A. Loox, W. MURRAY.

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